to her sister's and did not return; his father used to go off every
day to inspect cattle, and would often be away from home for three
days together, and it seemed to Olenka as though Sasha was entirely
abandoned, that he was not wanted at home, that he was being starved,
and she carried him off to her lodge and gave him a little room
there.

And for six months Sasha had lived in the lodge with her. Every
morning Olenka came into his bedroom and found him fast asleep,
sleeping noiselessly with his hand under his cheek. She was sorry
to wake him.

"Sashenka," she would say mournfully, "get up, darling. It's time
for school."

He would get up, dress and say his prayers, and then sit down to
breakfast, drink three glasses of tea, and eat two large cracknels
and a half a buttered roll. All this time he was hardly awake and
a little ill-humoured in consequence.

"You don't quite know your fable, Sashenka," Olenka would say,
looking at him as though he were about to set off on a long journey.
"What a lot of trouble I have with you! You must work and do your
best, darling, and obey your teachers."

"Oh, do leave me alone!" Sasha would say.

Then he would go down the street to school, a little figure, wearing
a big cap and carrying a satchel on his shoulder. Olenka would
follow him noiselessly.